February 24, 2017

Sir 6: 5-17

Let those who are friendly with you be many, but let your advisers be one in a thousand.

When you gain friends, gain them through testing, and do not trust them hastily.

For there are friends who are such when it suits them, but they will not stand by you in time of trouble.

And there are friends who change into enemies, and tell of the quarrel to your disgrace.

And there are friends who sit at your table, but they will not stand by you in time of trouble.

When you are prosperous, they become your second self, and lord it over your servants;

but if you are brought low, they turn against you, and hide themselves from you.

Keep away from your enemies, and be on guard with your friends.

Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter: whoever finds one has found a treasure.

Faithful friends are beyond price; no amount can balance their worth.

Faithful friends are life-saving medicine; and those who fear the Lord will find them.

Those who fear the Lord direct their friendship aright, for as they are, so are their neighbors also.

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

True Friendship

“Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter: whoever finds one has found a treasure.Faithful friends are beyond price; no amount can balance their worth.”

Recently, a friend introduced me as his “best friend.” Initially I was taken aback by this declaration, but then I reflected that, since sharing a locker frosh year of high school, and, despite dispersing across the continent, we had visited annually, vacationed as families, stood up at each other’s weddings, and God-parented each other’s offspring. Over the decades we had “sat at each other’s tables,” shared happy times and “times of trouble.” and candidly discussed careers, retirement, and health. As Sirach prescribes, we were to each other “life saving medicine.” This personal friendship has been a “sturdy shelter.”

That introduction caused me to reflect, how about my friendship with Jesus? Do I share important decisions and concerns with Jesus, as I do with my lifelong friend? As Lent approaches, I resolve to work on my friendship with Jesus, to find the spiritual treasure lurking there, one that is beyond price.

―George P. Sullivan, Jr. is a Jesuit-educated lay leader who helped found the Ignatian Volunteer Corps, Chicago Chapter. He and his wife, Dorothy Turek, live in Wilmette IL, and have four children and four grandchildren.

Prayer

The Lord is a friend forever. Even if you disappoint him and walk away from him, Jesus continues to want the best for you and to remain close to you; he believes in you even more than you believe in yourself.”

—Pope Francis on true friendship

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All fields are optional except for the prayer request. Please know we will only share your first name and complete prayer request with the priests and brothers. Your name and Email addresses will never be shared with anyone, nor will you receive any additional correspondence from us.

February 24, 2017

Sir 6: 5-17

Let those who are friendly with you be many, but let your advisers be one in a thousand.

When you gain friends, gain them through testing, and do not trust them hastily.

For there are friends who are such when it suits them, but they will not stand by you in time of trouble.

And there are friends who change into enemies, and tell of the quarrel to your disgrace.

And there are friends who sit at your table, but they will not stand by you in time of trouble.

When you are prosperous, they become your second self, and lord it over your servants;

but if you are brought low, they turn against you, and hide themselves from you.

Keep away from your enemies, and be on guard with your friends.

Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter: whoever finds one has found a treasure.

Faithful friends are beyond price; no amount can balance their worth.

Faithful friends are life-saving medicine; and those who fear the Lord will find them.

Those who fear the Lord direct their friendship aright, for as they are, so are their neighbors also.

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

True Friendship

“Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter: whoever finds one has found a treasure.Faithful friends are beyond price; no amount can balance their worth.”

Recently, a friend introduced me as his “best friend.” Initially I was taken aback by this declaration, but then I reflected that, since sharing a locker frosh year of high school, and, despite dispersing across the continent, we had visited annually, vacationed as families, stood up at each other’s weddings, and God-parented each other’s offspring. Over the decades we had “sat at each other’s tables,” shared happy times and “times of trouble.” and candidly discussed careers, retirement, and health. As Sirach prescribes, we were to each other “life saving medicine.” This personal friendship has been a “sturdy shelter.”

That introduction caused me to reflect, how about my friendship with Jesus? Do I share important decisions and concerns with Jesus, as I do with my lifelong friend? As Lent approaches, I resolve to work on my friendship with Jesus, to find the spiritual treasure lurking there, one that is beyond price.

―George P. Sullivan, Jr. is a Jesuit-educated lay leader who helped found the Ignatian Volunteer Corps, Chicago Chapter. He and his wife, Dorothy Turek, live in Wilmette IL, and have four children and four grandchildren.

Prayer

The Lord is a friend forever. Even if you disappoint him and walk away from him, Jesus continues to want the best for you and to remain close to you; he believes in you even more than you believe in yourself.”